A Rabbit Hiding Among Wolves
by Vixel
Summary: Levy makes the life changing decision to take on a solo mission to infiltrate an enemy kingdoms castle to take down their ruler and end the war that ravaged the lands. (AU kind of but only in some ways)
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" it was the princess who spoke, though I'm not sure why she was attending the war meeting.

"We believe that she will be able to carry out the mission on her own, your highness." The captain of the elite forces, Erza Scarlet, assured her.

"I don't doubt that at all! I wholly believe in her ability to complete the mission. I just worry about her, as a friend." She was wringing her hands, wrinkling the fine silk of her gloves.

I cleared my throat. "Your majesty, I am right here, please do not speak as if I am not." I had finally grown tired of being talked about while my presence had been forgotten.

"Oh, sorry you were um, very quiet." The princesses' complexion tipped towards the rosy side. A messenger boy entered through the heavy wooden door and bowed deeply to the ranks.

"Speak." Captain Scarlet commanded.

"Lieutenant Fernandez says the final preparations for the mission are nearly complete."

"Very well." The captain waved him away; he bowed again and retreated back out of the room.

"Levy, are you sure about this?" the princess, Lucy Heartfilia, had called me to her chambers after the meeting.

"Luce, relax I'll be fine. I've been on solo missions before and I've been in enemy territory several times." I tried to comfort her.

"I know you have but, never like this!" she hugged herself with uncertainty.

"You get worked up every time I'm preparing to go on a mission. I've come back in one piece every time, haven't I? Why should this time be any different?"

"This is the most dangerous mission you've ever been on."

"I know it is." I said softly. "That's why we're preparing so carefully this time. We've been preparing for nearly a year and a half and you know it." I gently laid my hand on her arm in silent support. She looked up at me; she was on the verge of tears.

A small group had come to see me off at the palace's small side gate. I waved out of the carriage window as the horse began trotting down the cobble stone lane. I leaned back in my seat once they had become specks on the horizon. _Lucy had probably started crying. I already miss her._

I wiped my sweaty hands down the front of my shirt. I had exchanged my flashy robes marking me as the royal tactician of the fairy kingdom for a baggy fading green shirt, tight black pants that hugged my curves a little too much for my liking, and knee high combat boots. Something closer resembling a commoner's clothes to help me look like a convincing traveler.

I pulled my old worn cloak around me, I'm going to sleep; I have a long time before I reach the border.

I was jolted awake by the sudden stop of the carriage; it threw me to the floor. I sat up silently cursing the driver and his poor stopping skills. _We couldn't possibly be at the border already. Could we?_ I stuck my head out the window to see why we had stopped.

I was right but, I was also wrong. We'd stopped near the border, about ten miles from it. "This is as far as I go." The driver peered around the side of the carriage from his seat. Again I silently cursed the driver. I grabbed the one bag I had brought with me, which mostly contained books, and hopped out of the carriage. The driver stuck out his hand expecting payment.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You've already been paid." I said flatly; his eyes flashed surprised before rearranging into anger from me seeing through his scam immediately. He pulled on the horses reins and trotted back the way we had come. I mumbled under my breath. "Lousy scam artist."

I shifted my attention to the task at hand: getting to the border. I was not dreading the walk but, I was definitely not looking forward to it. I slung my bag over my shoulders and began walking down the dirt road.

I arrived at the border wall quite ready for a cold drink of water but, sadly I hadn't brought any with me, an unwise decision. "Halt!" the stern voice of a guard commanded. "identification." I handed him my fake but, flawless ID and passport. To him I would seem like an innocent farm girl returning to her home territory from a trip to see her aunt. He inspected them while another guard searched through the contents of my bag. Everything checked out or that's what they thought.

I had to go through several other extensive searches before they finally let me pass through the gate into the Aes kingdom. It wasn't a bright or lively place -not that I ever imagined it to be. Even the sky seemed duller here.

My destination is the capital, which is the heart of the country. I have a long journey ahead of me.

Eight weeks later…

It took me longer than expected to reach the capital city. I looked ragged from hardly having a proper place to eat, sleep, and bathe. I felt as bad as I looked or damn near it. None the less it made my weary traveler disguise all the more authentic.

I could see the castle – my target – even from the outskirts of the city and the capital is a very impressive sized establishment. I could see the obsidian towers spiraling upwards like thorns ready to pierce the sky. I could see the blood red stained glass windows; they appeared small though I knew they were many times larger up close.

I pulled my cloak hood up over my head; my sky blue hair was drawing too much attention as I pushed my way through the crowded street. I was pushed every which way myself and nearly run over by a cart being pulled by two oxen. _Geez, the people of this country are so big. What on earth do they eat?_


	2. Chapter 2

**my laptop crashed while i was typing this and it deleted it...I feel so betrayed ;A;**

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As I approached the heart of the city I noticed recruitment posters plastering the walls of buildings. I could never get close enough to them because of the swarm of teenage boys too anxious to join the army to give it a second thought around them.

It had been a hunch during the mission planning that they would be recruiting. We had even captured several of their soldiers and forced them to tell us how their countries recruitment process worked; never have I seen someone so confused. Afterwards we had to kill them, I didn't want to nor did I like the idea of it but, this is war. Not everyone survives.

I pushed and shoved my way through a group of teenage boys to get a look at one of the recruitment posters. I needed to see where I needed to go, otherwise I might as well aimlessly wander the city; it'd be just as effective. "They'll never let someone as small and weak as you into the army." I spun around to see a boy mocking me and pointing, I could hear the approving snickers of his friends behind him. _I am aware that I am small but, WEAK?_ I narrowed my eyes and promptly punched him in the mouth.

The quiet snickering stopped when his head snapped back so his faced was turned up to the heavens above. He slowly lowered his head back to its original position. I could see that his nose and upper lip had become a bloody mess. He angrily wiped away the blood and winced at the pain. He took a fighting position, his lackeys smiled with bloodlust in their eyes anxiously anticipating what was to come.

I quickly calculated his stance. Sixty-five percent of his weight was on his back leg. His arms too far spread leaving his chest wide open. I took note of the considerably larger amount of scars on his right hand than on his left, must be his dominant hand. Though he was quite a bit bigger and bulkier than me – about twice as wide and a head taller – I had the advantage. I had more skill, knowledge, and experience than him.

He swung ahis right arm out in a sloppy haymaker punch, just as I had predicted. I dodged easily and dropped to the ground. I threw my leg out in a strong controlled sweep to take his back leg out. His leg flew out from under him and he hit the ground with a thud. I was on top of him pinning him to the ground with my knees in a millisecond.

"What was that word you called me?" I cocked my head to one side and tapped my chin in mock confusion.

"W-weak." He stuttered quite clearly very scared, I glanced down at him coldly.

"There are more than one ways to measure strength." _Such insolence for these people to that strength is only physical._ "True strength comes from up here." I tapped my head; confused grunts rose from the crowd. "If you think strength is just how hard you can hit you are terribly mistaken. Brute force will only get you so far. You have to be smart enough to find an opening, a weakness. you have to time your attacks. And you have to know where to hit to have the greatest amount of damage." I got up off the startled boy and dusted nonexistent dirt off my cloths. I had a strong feeling he wouldn't attack again, if he knew what was best for him that is.

He scrambled to his feet and took several steps away from me. "Now be useful and take me here." I pointed to the listed location on the poster; he gulped nervously.

He walked about five feet ahead of me, skittishly glancing back at me every couple of minutes. His group of friends had bailed on him, quite sad. "It's in that building." he gestured to a very large and very official looking building with a sign outside the door announcing that it was where you could enlist to the army.

"Do yourself a favor and don't g picking fights with strangers."

He growled at my advice. "I don't take advice from people younger than me."

"Honey, unless you're twenty-three you're younger than ME." I pushed my glasses farther up the bridge of my nose. "Now get lost, kid!" he bolted kicking up clouds of dirt in his wake. I rolled my eyes – _stupid kid -_ and pushed open the heavy oak doors to the building


	3. Chapter 3

**while typing this my cat thought it would be fun to head butt my hands, fall asleep in my lap in awkward positions, and poke at the bruises on my legs...I'm allergic to cats it was not fun.**

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 **AUTHORS NOTE: the character Lily Heart is Edolas Lucy. Having two Lucy's would get confusing so smeh...yup**

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There was a very long snaking line leading up to a desk. I got in line and took up as much space as I possibly could otherwise I would be ignored and people would cut in front of me. I hummed the lullabies and other songs my parents used to sing to me to pass the time.

The line didn't move as slowly as I had expected t to but, it still nearly matched the pace of that of a snail. Some of the boys – there is not a woman in sight, I'm a little disappointed to be honest – were denied and left with their heads hung in shame while others were directed down a darkened hall to who knows where. I waited patiently for my at the desk to come, continuously humming the songs.

My turn finally arrived. Whoever was in charge peered down at me from over the desk, "Are you lost, miss?" _the nerve!_

"No." I didn't even try to mask my annoyance.

"In that case I'll see if we have room for another battle field nurse or cook." He shuffled through stacks of paper.

I glared up at him, I don't like this man. "Don't insult me." I spat the words out, he blinked back his surprise.

"You wouldn't last a day out there. You're so small and besides the war front is no place for a-"

"For a girl? For someone appearing small and weak?" I glowered up at him. "Being small makes me less of a target and harder to hit and being a girl makes the enemy reluctant to hit me leaving them open for attack. So tell me is there a problem, _sir?_ " I was used to being told I couldn't do something because I was small or seemingly weak or because I was a girl and I hated it. I hated it wholeheartedly.

He was at loss for words or any sort of comeback to save him from the humiliation I was causing him, instead he grumbled because he knew I was right and couldn't argue. "Fill this out then go down the hall and stop at the door with the sign out front. You'll know it when you see it." He said bitterly passing a form to me. I filled it out with the information on my fake ID. Here I was Laila McGuire, I would have to get used to being called a name that was not my own and mine at the same time.

I was instructed to take the form with me to where it was I was supposed to go. I found the door with the sign outside it and entered. To my surprise it led outside. I squinted until my eyes could adjust to the sudden brightness.

It was a training arena. The far wall was lined with all varieties of weapons and a sheltered more shed like section contained what I guessed to be armor. Punching bags were suspended from the rafters of the partial roof that rung over the walls of the arena. In the center there was a dirt ring meant for fighting, there was already a pair of people sparring.

"You, there!" someone called to me. "Come here!" I speed walked over to them. They looked extremely familiar; they caught my stare. "The hell you lookin' at, runt?"

"You just look extraordinarily familiar that's all." She looked exactly like Lucy but, with shorter hair and a different demeanor. She was dressed in close fitting black leather pants and jacket with studded accents and white trim. She had a wicked looking sword slung by each of her hips and an assortment of knives and daggers strapped to every other limb.

"Well I ain't ever seen you before." She scowled at me. "Gimme you form and go wait with the others." She indicated to a group of boys with her thumb. I quickly handed over my form to her and took a place leaning on a support column near the group of boys. She may look like Lucy but, she defiantly didn't act like her.

The two who had been sparring were finishing up. The boy who couldn't stop pacing was called up to go next. "Go suit up, you're next." The girl from a few minutes ago commanded.

"I don't wear armor, it slows me down." I replied simply and it was true it did. I didn't wear armor very often and when I did it was minimal.

"I don't believe you heard me clearly. I said go suit up." She spoke through her teeth. This is not an argument I'm going to win nor did it seem like a bright idea to try to.

I spent longer than I meant to looking for the lightest – and smallest – armor I could find in their armory. I finally settled on a well-worn incomplete set of leather armor. All I could find were the arm guards, shin guards, and the chest plate which didn't quite fit in the right places. The Lucy-girl eyed my choice with disapproval.

I stepped into the ring, the sunlight immediately stabbing my eyes. My partner already had his sword angled for a thrust to my neck. I realized I had forgotten to pick out a weapon but, no matter I have fought barehanded against a sword before. Even from under the helmet that obscured the majority of his face I could see him smirking, thinking he had already won.

"Begin." The Lucy-girl shouted not sounding particularly interested. The man lunged thrusting his sword at my neck. I side stepped and swung my leg around in a circular kick bringing it down on his sword hand nailing it to the ground. His momentum followed his hand and before he knew it he was flat on the ground face down. I jammed my knee between his shoulder blades rendering his arms useless and pinned his other arm behind his back. He yelped in pain and discomfort. He struggled helplessly like a worm in my firm grip. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" Lucy-girl cried out.

I sat back on my heels and let my partner crawl out from under me. "I want her on the guard!" Lucy-girl jogged up to us very excited.

"B-but captain there are no open positions." My partner bowed his head, massaging the hand that I had stomped upon.

"Then make one! Kick someone off if you must!" she glared down at him, and then turned back to me and smiled. "What's your name?"

"Laila McGuire, ma'am."

"Welcome to the team, Laila." She slapped my back in a friendly manor. "Name's Lily Heart, captain of the king's royal guard."

"Thank you, captain. I'm honored to be accepted on to your team." I bowed respectfully. The captain led me out of the arena through a darkened tunnel I hadn't noticed when I entered.


	4. Chapter 4

Captain Heart called for a carriage to take us to the palace. "Um, Captain, do you mind if I send a messenger hawk to my friends to inform them of the news once we reach the palace?"

"Sure, do what you want." Our carriage arrived and we piled in. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" the captain tried to strike up a conversation.

"My dad taught me." Truth.

"Was he once a soldier?"

"I don't know, probably." A half-truth, he had been a general to the Fairy Kingdom. The captain kept to herself after that, she seemed to be in deep thought about something.

The palace walls loomed ever closer making me shudder. The castle itself stood imposingly tall, I gulped. It gave me the impression of bloodied thorns or claws of some feral cat. It was unsettling knowing that this in a way was going to be my new home for some time.

Captain Heart led me through a servant's gate into the inner gardens of the palace to the lower levels of the palace reserved for the maids and such. I followed her through a maze of hallways and up several flights of stairs. She finally stopped at the foot of a spiraling set of stone stairs that led up into one of the castle towers. She opened a door that would have been invisible to the untrained eye.

Inside was another set of stairs and doors that led into unknown rooms. "This is underneath the king's tower." The captain explained. "It's where the royal guards living quarters are. We have to stay close to the king at all times or at least a couple of us at a time." I climbed the stairs behind her. "The door to your room that leads out to the main stairs is jammed and can only be opened from the inside for now. 'Til we can get it fixed that is." She stopped so abruptly that I nearly walked into her. "This is it!" she threw open the door. "I'll send for someone to bring you a messenger hawk. Need anything else?"

"A map would be lovely." I said sheepishly.

"Of course." She left shutting the door behind her before I could thank her.

I threw my bag on the bed sending up a small cloud of dust quite happy to be relieved of its weight. The room was considerably barren and very unimpressive. There was a short wooden dresser underneath the window on the wall opposite from the door to the main stairs. A desk was stuck in the corner to my right. A trunk made of unfinished wood with a broken lock sat at the foot of my bed. A dusty mirror was mounted on the wall to my left reflecting light from the window across every surface.

The secret stairway door swung open, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I didn't give myself even a split second to panic, I immediately whipped out a knife I had hiding in my boot and took up a fighting position.

The intruder had also jumped back in surprise. His unoccupied hand was raised in mute surrender. I lowered my knife and tucked it back into my boot; I straightened up still tense. "Mate, chill." He said stepping back into my room.

"Sorry 'bout that I'm just anxious." I smiled and laughed nervously.

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it. It's to be expected being thrown into something such as this so suddenly." he laughed with me. "I was like that to when I first joined the guard."

I scanned him up and down to reassure myself that he posed no threat. I quickly concluded that he didn't considering he wore close to nothing. No shirt, no shoes only a pair of loose fitting pants and a silver necklace with a sword pendant. Though the hawk perched on his arm seemed odd.

"I'm Gray Fullbuster by the way. My room's two doors down with a six on it." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Laila McGuire, pleasure to meet you." I stuck out my hand for him to shake; he took it and shook it firmly. He eyed me more closely, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

"How did you get into the guard? You're so-" _Oh hell no, not this again._

"Call me small and so help me I will gut you right here and now."

"Sorry but, anyways I was told to deliver a messenger hawk to you."

"Oh uh, thanks." I stuck out my arm and the hawk jumped from his to mine. Its talons lightly grazing my skin but, it didn't bother me. "Quick question, how do I tell who and where to deliver the message to? I've never had to use a messenger hawk before." Not a complete lie, I've never used another countries messenger hawk.

"Ya' just tell it very clearly who, what country, city, street, and house number not much to it." He shrugged. "And one other thing, maids don't have access to our rooms, no idea why but they don't. So don't expect to come back from work to a neat and tidy room, unless that's how you left it."

"Good to know, thanks Gray." I smiled.

"See ya' round, Laila."

"Bye." He left closing the door behind him. The hawk cocked his head and squawked quietly. "Hello, there. What's your name Mr. Hawk?" the ID tag around its ankle said its name was 'Kol'. "Well then Kol would you be a dear and deliver a letter for me?" I scratched under his chin; Kol cawed happily at the affection. I held out my arm for him to jump off my arm and onto the desk.

I rummaged through the storage trunk for paper and ink. I found several scrolls of old yellowed paper and a bottle of nearly completely dried ink. _Geez, how long has this room been empty?_

I sat down at my desk; the chair creaked under my weight. Kol happily hopped up onto my left shoulder and rubbed my check lovingly. I gave his head a quick pat and began writing my letter to Lieutenant Fernandez code name: Ralph Jackson. Lieutenant was a city over waiting for my signal for move forward into phase two of the plan: A staged attempted assassination of the king.

 _Hey, ralph! It's been awhile hasn't it? How you been? Anyhow I have great news! I've been put on the king's royal guard! We should get together with the gang and celebrate when I have time off. Until then…_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Laila McGuire_

Lieutenant Fernandez would know exactly what the true meaning of my letter was.


End file.
